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(No Model.)

GATE.

7. mm w w m 1 2 a 1D NTTE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. THOMAS, OF RUSHVILLE, OHIO.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,290, dated February 2, 1897.

Application filed October 1, 1896. Serial No. 607,592. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN F. THOMAS, residing at Rushville, in the county of Fair field and the State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Gate, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to gates, particularly to farm-gates, and more espeoially to a swinging gate, whereby said gate can be swung freely back and forth without the free or forward end sagging or dropping in the least.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gate in which the balancing mechanism can be swung to one side whenever desired, as when hauling a wide or heavy load of hay.

With these various objects in view my invention consists, essentially, in providing a hinge having an eye at the end for hinging the gate and a guide-eye at the side for the reception of the rod to which the balancingleveris attached, whereby the said balancing mechanism can be turned to one side whenever desired.

The invention consists also in the peculiar construction of the various parts and in their novel combination or arrangement, all of which will be fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings formingapart of this specification, Figure 1 is a view showing the prac,

tical application of my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation, illustratingmy in vention. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the hinge. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the fulcrum-block. Fig. 5 is a slightly modified form of gate, showing another mannerof applying the broad principles of my invention.

In carrying out my invention I employ a gate A, which may be of any desired construction, arranged between the post B and latch-post O,saidgate being preferably braced by means of a truss-wire D, which engages a notch E upon the lower edge of one of the bars of the gate and extends upward to the upper rear end of said gate, and in order to have the said truss-wire exert its pull in a direct manner I prefer to arrange a fulcrumblock F upon the top of the said bar, said fulcrum-block having notches F,in which the wire rests, and being also provided with prongs F by means of which the said block is held upon the upper face of the bar.

G indicates the hinge which I employ in hinging the gate to the post 13, said hinge consisting, essentially, of arectangular frame adapted to be fastened to a batten of the gate, and for this purpose the said frame is made in two sections bolted together, as clearly shown, one of the said sections carrying the eye H at the end, which is adaptedto fitupon the pintle I, driven into the post B. At the side of the hinge is arranged another eye K, adapted to receive the rod L, carrying the lever M at its upper end, said lever M in fact being a continuation of the rod L, bent downwardly.

The eye K of the lower hinge is somewhat smaller than the eye of the upper hinge for the purpose of receiving the reduced end of the rod L, the shoulder of said reduced end resting upon the lower eye and thereby limiting the downward movement of the rod.

The upper face of the lever M is provided with ratchet-teeth M, and suspended from the said lever is a receptacle N, adapted to receive weights of any desired form for the purpose of exerting a strain or pull upon the upper end of the gate, in order to prevent the lower forward end from sagging.

A set-screw O is passed through the rod L into the rear batten of the gate for the purpose of holding the rod against revolution when so desired, but it will be understood that when it is desired to swing the lever, with its weighted basket, out of the way it can be readily accomplished by simply releasing the set-screw 0.

Now in operation the gate can be freely swung back and forth, and by the strain or pull of the weighted or balancing lever M upon the rear batten, which in turn exerts a strain or pull upon the forward end of the gate through the medium of the truss-wire D, the said forward end will be held sufficiently elevated to prevent the same coming in contact wit-h the ground.

When an unusually heavy load, such as hay, is being hauled through the gateway, the lever M, with its weighted basket N, can be swung back against the fence out of the way, inasmuch as the rod L turns freely in the guide-eyes K, arranged at the side of the hinge.

It will thus be seen that I provide an ex.- ceedingly cheap, simple,durab1e, and efficient construction of farm gate and balancing mechanism.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the gate and its hinge-post, of the hinges attached to the rear batten of the gate, and provided with guideeyes, the rod arranged in said guide-eyes, and the balancing-lever attached to the upper end of said rod, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a gate of the kind described, a hinge having the eye at the end adapted to fit upon the pintle and an eye at the side adapted to the balancing-lever attached to the upper end of said rod, the adj ustable-weight receptacle and the set-screw for holding the rod in place with reference to the batten of the gate, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN F. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

FRANK F. Lnwis, A. L. BAKER. 

